Guatemala
Film Locations. Southern
Guatemala has the populated mountain ranges with rolling clouds over
the upper slope jungles and an extensive dense forest covering the
foothills below. In the northern half of Guatemala, vast lowland plains
support expanses of largely inaccessible, undulating hardwood forest,
dotted with the occasional banana plantation. The coastal plain along
the Pacific coast is intensely cultivated, sustaining plantations of
coffee, sugarcane, and bananas, alongside cotton fields. Guatemala City
is not a beautiful city however Antigua Guatemala is a stunning colonial city in the shadow of a spectacular volcano surrounded by
picturesque countryside and villages. Thirty volcanoes to chose from -
well formed cones, some still active. Mayan Pyramids in Tikal. Mayan
villages with colourfully clothed locals.
Permits are typically same day
or within a couple of days. Permission to shoot the Mayan ruins at
Tikal has very little red tape as opposed to shooting Mayan ruins in Mexico
where it could take a few weeks. This easy access to shooting Mayan ruins is
one of the main reasons to shoot in Guatemala.
When to shoot? Southern
Guatemala's mountains are high enough to escape the tropical heat and
humidity, and at altitude temperatures during the wet season are not
excessive. In the dry season they are cool and it can even be cold at
night. The very cloudy and rainy wet season runs from May to October,
followed by a drier and sunnier 'winter' season from December to March.
Northern Guatemala is hot with high to very high heat and humidity
during the wet season, while 'winters' are warm with a brief dry season
lasting from February to April.
The coastal plain along the Pacific coast receives high rainfall from
May to October when it is also very hot and humid. The dry season is
less hot and a lot sunnier.
For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Please contact us for more specific weather and sun path information.
Costs. Locations, local talent and support crew are inexpensive but since little to no filming infrastructure exists all key crew and equipment must be brought in from abroad.
Talent is non-union and buyouts are negotiable. Day rates are very reasonable and negotiated on a personal basis.
Casting facilities are rather undeveloped in Guatemala so street casting is often required.
Guatemala offers mostly Amerindian looks with some European and Mestizos looks also available. All other talent looks need to be brought in from abroad.
Creative talent. Guatemala has no pool of local directors, directors of photography and stills photographers.
Please contact us for recommended directors, DoP's and photographers for your project.
Crews are also non-union.
Limited depth of local crews. It is advisable to bring your key crew from
abroad.
Fringes and Premiums.
Guatemala works on a twelve hour day. No fixed premiums apply. We package deals for local crew / talent.
Equipment. You will need to bring in all equipment from abroad.
Art department and set construction is very basic.
Studios and backlots. None exist at present.
Tax Incentives. At present there are no tax incentives for foreign
commercials or films shooting in Guatemala.
Film Stock. No film stock available locally. Best to bring in from Miami or Mexico which have both Fuji and Kodak available.
Post Production. No labs exist locally. Post abroad.
Visas and Work Permits. Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Contact your local Guatemalan embassy or representative for more information.
Transportation. The road
system is quite undeveloped. Guatemala is well serviced domestically by
Copa Airlines and Taca Airlines. The following international airlines service flights to Guatemala - Continental, American, Delta, United
,Taca and Mexicana.
Accommodation. Recommended hotels include:
Guatemala City:
Intercontinental
Westin Camino Real
Tikal (for Mayan Pyramids):
Jungle Lodge
Antigua Guatemala (for colonial looks):
D'Leyenda Hotel
Hotel Cirilo
Please contact us for corporate rates.
For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Communication. Web posted casting, scouting and videoconferencing.
Safety. Guatemala is a safe centre
for filming.
Projects. For an example of TV commercials, online advertising, corporate videos, stills campaigns, feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in Guatemala, please see below:
Our production service companies, line producers and fixers have serviced TV commercials, online advertising, corporate videos, stills campaigns, feature films, TV series and documentaries for:
AXA Belgium, BBC UK, Canon Singapore, Coca Cola Indonesia, Concord Canada, Dove Malaysia, Deutche Bank Germany, Dressman Sweden, Evian France, HBO USA, Heineken Ireland, Hyundai Korea, Intercontinental Hotels Global, ITC India, Kirin Japan, Kraft USA, Landrover UK, LG Korea, Meunil China, McDonalds Australia, MUFG Japan, Nikon Hong Kong, Nokia China, Orange Moblie Slovakia, Philips Netherlands, Proctor & Gamble USA, Chery Riich China, Rimowa Germany, Samsung Korea, Sinoland Hong Kong, Skipper Italy, Smirnoff USA, Sony United Arab Emirates, Stella Russia, Telefonica Spain, Vidal Sassoon China, Virgin Media UK, and much more.
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer in Guatemala, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.
